urbandinerVancouverSince October 30, 200826 Reviews
(3.1)- Food
(3.2) - Service (3.1)
- Value (3.2)
- Ambiance (3.1)
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(3.1) (3.2) (3.1) (3.2) (3.1)Tried this place for the first time because of a VanEats coupon. Glad we did. The menu was very adequate and very tasty. Always like the VanEats deals they put together. The food is just as they present it. The flavours of all the food was delicious. Service was very good. Our water glasses were constantly being refilled for us and the dishes came out at a very good pace. Our server "lin"was most gracious. Great overall experience.
Simply put the Pear Tree is one of the finest restaurants in town. The tasting menu we had was exquisite. The flavours were all so well balanced and the presentation was very pleasing. The service superb also. Well done Chef Jaeger and staff! We had dined at the Pear many years ago and have not returned since. Big mistake as this is definitely a must go to restaurant despite it's location.
Went for lunch and the only thing good about the whole meal was the beer. The rest of the meal was very disappointing. Firstly, we ordered the shrimp and mango salad, which we were subsequently told they no longer have on the menu. Why not cross it off the menu or mention it from the beginning when presenting the menu? Also then the server told us of 3 more items that were not available. We then had to rethink our order. The yam fries were cold and soggy (seems to be a pattern here). The deep fried fish in the tacos were cold and overbattered. One of us had asked for orange pekoe tea and server brought earl grey. When we told her that is not what we ordered she replied that this was the only black tea they had. Why not say so at the beginning instead of just bringing it? All in all very inattentive service and not so great food.
Without a doubt this has been one of the most frustrating meals that I have gone to. A group of us decided to try the hot pot special.
Service: The timing of the meal was absolutely dreadful. We started with our first order of items for the hot pot which came out slowly but in an acceptable amount of time. As we decided that we did not want to waste any food and not knowing the portion sizes, we ordered sparingly. Having finished our first selections we then ordered some more items. This is when the meal started to fall apart. Our second selections did not come out for an hour!!! Totally unacceptable. Needless to say, they dared not enforce their 90 minute time limit! The servers themselves were very pleasant and tried to be as helpful as possible. They kept refilling our water pot and the soup base which, of course, kept reducing because of the long wait. The fault was obviously with the kitchen. How long does it take to chop up raw veg., sliced meats etc. that is being sent out for the diner to cook themselves?
Food: The only saving thing about this whole evening was that what food that did come out was acceptable. Although you can't go too far wrong with chopped veg., sliced frozen meats, and tofu.
Ambience: The restaurant itself is pleasantly appointed. However, another thing that just added to the disappointment for the evening is that a tradesman was in full sight patching and painting a wall in the restaurant while diners were there!
This bad experience will not have me coming back. We all came out so frustrated after a 3 hour dinner!
Food:Wonderfully innovative DOV menu. Sturgeon (with chorizo broth ) and dessert of coconut lime pannacotta were a special hit. Everything was well presented and serving sizes ample. Loved the whole dining experience.
Service : Prompt and friendly. Water glasses refilled constantly. Meal was paced weill and we did not feel rushed even thought it was DOV.
Ambience: was lively and not overly noisy as reported by some diners and certainly no blaring music to detract from dinner conversations. Perhaps it depends on the area of the restaurant that you are in.
Overall: Definitely worth returning to.
Food: Went for DOV lunch. The three course menu was very good although the salmon duo appetizer and apple galette dessert were seriously small even for a lunch menu. The mains, however, were wonderful. The lamb shanks meaty and tender. Duck confit was one of the best I've had for a while with a wonderfully crispy skin.
Service: was stretched, probably because it was the first day of DOV and they didn't seem prepared for the number of tables. It appeared that there were only 2 main servers with a couple of auxillary staff for the whole restaurant. The order for the next table was brought to us by mistake. Our server "leon"tried very hard despite being shorthanded and we appreciated his efforts.
Ambiance: The setting is beautiful. It is also delightful to be able to hold a conversation without music blasting away. Even though the music is subdued it still provided for a lively ambiance .
Overall: Always enjoy coming here. The food is consistently good and the price point very fair for a restaurant of its class.
Had not tried this place before and reading previous reviews had us wondering whether to go or not. However, when a Living Social deal came up decided we would give it a try as the menu appealed to us.
Service: was excellent. Our server Kelly and the rest of the staff were always checking on us to make sure everything was good, water refilled constantly, and dirty plates removed promptly. Everytime one of the staff walked by they made sure to check the table to see if anything was needed. The restaurant was not particularly busy for a Saturday night so don't know what the service would be like on a busier night.
Food: we had the set coupon menu which was very good. The starters we had of prawn cocktail consisted of 5 large crunch prawns. Not mushy as can tend to be. My partner and I both chose the prime rib which turned out to be a generous 8 oz.+ portion. We asked for medium rare and got medium rare which was perfect. Nicely done yorkshire pudding with a fair amount of vegetables. Dessert was creme brulee which as good enough. All in all was a great dinner. However, I think that the prices that are charged regularly are probably the biggest deterrent for most diners.
Atmosphere: very nice the evening we were there, although wouldn't want to be there as mentioned by other reviewers when there is a game on. Hard to compete as as fine dining establishmet when there are TV screens all around. Think the restaurant needs to rethink their marketing as to what kind of diner they want to cater to and look at their price points accordingly.
Overall: Good experience.
Have been to C numerous times but feel that they are resting on their reputation these days.
Service: The last few times dining there the service has been lacking in one way or another. One time it was very slow as there was a big function going on. We didn't get our bread until we asked for it (and still waited for a long time) and water was not refilled. At times certain servers can be rather pretentious.
Food: Thankfully this is always well executed.
Value: Compared to some other fine dining establishments that are now open in town, C is not great value for the money. Perhaps this is where it's Groupon promotions can give the diners a more acceptable reason to dine there.
Ambiance: Is good on the patio on a sunny afternoon. Inside is ok although the place does need some updating. The paint on the bottom of all the chair legs are peeled and look very unkept for a high-end restaurant.
As mentioned previously, with the plethora of fine dining around town these days, I'll need some more reasons to return.
Decided to try this restaurant because of a Groupon promotion. Didn't know what to expect from a casino restaurant. We were pleasantly surprised.
Service: this was outstanding. Our server was absolutely charming.
Ambience: very nicely appointed room with views out to the Fraser River. Restaurant is fairly small and intimate.
Food: Some dishes were very good--chicken stuffed with goat cheese and pistachio nuts, green salad starter. Osso Bucco disappointing in that it was rather bland although very meaty. Desserts were good.
Price: very expensive as most mains start at $35+ which is even more expensive then some of the more established and noteworthy restaurants in town.
Would return only if there was another promotion as overall it is good but not at the present price point.
I agree with the former reviewer. The decor did not work. Their attempt at contemporary clean and perhaps edgy design was not well executed. The chairs look like cheap fold out party chairs for a lawn party.
Food: was very good. We have not dined out at this restaurant since it closed down as the Elixir. The reason being every time we walked by the decor was rather uninviting. We bought a Groupon for their 3 course lunch menu and are very glad that we did. The food turned out to be very good and of course was an excellent value with the Groupon.
Ambiance: None and as previously mentioned had it not been for the promotion I would have still continually passed on by without going in. I would not recommend having a supper in such a non desript surrounding but because the food that I experienced at lunch was good I would consider returning for lunch only.
Service was friendly but very slow the day I was there for lunch. Seemed a little disorganized and perhaps not enough staff or inexperienced staff.
This has been our second visit to the restaurant since owner Manlio relocated from his former Yaletown
Amacord. We were very pleased to see that he has retained the same good food and ambience.
Food: Each time we have gone the meals have been excellent. On our last visit the daily special appetizer of veal liver pate laced with gorgonzola ( as strange a combination as it may sound ) was delicious. The avocado and shrimp salad was also very good. Our mains of pasta with Italian sausage and seafood linguine were equally well prepared. The pasta was al dente.
Service: Manlio and his staff are always very attentive and make special efforts to see that one has a true dining experience. No pretentions as the previous reviewer mentioned which is appreciated. Just very friendly, efficient and professional service.
Value: Good price point for the quality and quantity of food. Very competitive
Ambience: The decor is peaceful and classy, a trademark of Manlio's dining philosophy. It's a pleasure to be able to have a restaurant where the music provides gentle background without being intrusive.
A must try for those who appreciate fine Italian dining.
These hot dogs are really good. Way better than Japadogs! The buns were really fresh and not mealy. We tried the Mushroom Swiss Melt( fresh mushrooms, melted cheese) and Rueben (sauerkraut, bratwurst,melted swiss) and both were equally good. We like the fact that the the dogs are all natural without preservatives. Also the weiners had a nice crunch to them.
The owner and staff are super friendly and helpful. The premises were very clean also.
Will certainly return to try some of the other offerings.
With all the pricey restaurants that overshadow Yaletown it is refreshing to have a neighbourhood restaurant that offers good food at a price point that is not so hard on the pocket-book.
As noted the food was well prepared and presented. Service was very friendly. Was there for brunch and the music volume was very tolerable It still maintained a vibrant atmosphere without the deafening din of the chains like Earls and Cactus Club.
Really enjoyed my brunch. Will return for sure.
Read some good reviews and decided to try the Tuesday night mussel and frites special. The mussels were very fresh and sweet done in a white cream sauce. The sauce could have been a tad lighter but overall the dish was very satisfactory, especially for the special price of $8. My partner opted for the 3 course $25 offering. There are several choices for the appetizer and main course plus any item off the dessert menu. For starters, he chose the butternut squash soup which was excellent. The entree of lamb shank with polenta and vegetables was very moist and tender. The poached pear and fig with mascarpone cheese was divine. The warm crusty buns which accompanied the meals were also delicious.
We were very impressed with the service which was very friendly and attentive.
The atmosphere of the restaurant is very warm and inviting. Also, the music level was just right, not so noisy so that you can't even have a decent conversation over dinner.
We will definitely return. Would really like to try their special set Sunday menu. Overall, excellent food, good value and great service.
Unlike the previous diner we had the best service that we have had for some time now at any restaurant. I must add that we have frequented many restaurants in town. The service from the greeting by the hostess Emily and our server Elin were excellent from the very start. The rest of the staff was great also. Food arrived promptly. Lost count on how many times my water glass was filled without asking. Table was cleared in a timely manner yet we never felt rushed. Everyone was very attentive and pleasant.
We dined on the BC Hydro Power Smart Candlelight evening. All the entrees and sharing platters were on half price which made the meal very good value for the money! We started with the naan bread and duck confit salad , both suggested by our server, and turned out to be very good. . The sharing platter we had consisted of lamb, calamari, prawns, chicken, ribs and rice was ample for the two of us. It was deicious. We were very full and decided to try only one dessert to share--bake cardamon yogurt. Very light and yummy. Next time will have to save room to try some others as they have a special price for 3 different selections.
The atmosphere for this evening was very enjoyable. The candle-lit environment was not too dark for us. Very nice mood.
All in all we really had a great experience at this restaurant. It has the same polish as all of the Glowbal group of restaurants. They don;'t seem to disappoint . We certainly would return again.
We have dined at Mistral a couple of times now for lunch and have found each ocassion to be a good experience.
Food: The food is consistently good bistrot fare. On this particular visit, the four of us selected from the prix fixe menus. For the price of $20-$24 they are a very good value for the money. One can choose from 4 menus. I had the Marseille menu. The warm escargot crouton with greens and poscuitto was very good and not too salty or garlicky as some escargot dishes can tend to be. The Saffron Bourride was tasty with ample seafood. Creme caramel was very smooth. My dining partners chose the Riviera and Traditional menus and were equally impressed.
Service: The server was attentive and our water and wine glasses were always kept full. She also was familiar with the long list of daily specials and appeared knowledgeable of all the dishes. It's always a pleasure not to have the server stumble through all the specials or not to know what really is in the ingredient list. Also after we got out the door, the server caught up with us to thank us for coming. A warm touch.
Value: As mentioned above. Very good value as the servings are ample and the food solidly presented. Good bistrot food.
Other : Ambiance is great. We had a pleasant lunch with our friends . There was no blaring music that we had to compete with. We will definitely return .
We have had lunch at this restaurant many a times. However, on this last ocassion one of our servers (Sarah) showed what excellent customer service is all about.
As I had not been to the refurbished location yet since they changed their pizza menu I was not familiar with all the offerings yet. I decided to order the duck and cheese pizza which sounded interesting. However, it turned out not to my liking but I did not complain as this is what I ordered and would try and eat it. However, our very observant server could see I was struggling to try and enjoy my pizza and offered to exchange it for another kind. She cheerfully suggested other ones that I might like. That is what I call great customer service!
My spouse always orders the Johnny Mac which he really likes. However, we're not super pleased with new offerings in the pizza department. They've done away with some of the better ones. Also, the amount of topping seems a bit skimpy. Despite the fact it is thin crust sometimes it feels like that is all we are eating.
Will return as it is close by and the service is always good. Price point is average. Food is ok. Beer is good.
I must concur with previous reviews re the lousy service. Even making reservations doesn't mean anything as you still have to wait 45 minutes to get your table. They are very disorganized and cannot handle the high volume, especially on the weekends.
In defence of their food, I must say that I have had very good experiences in this area. The meals and the dim-sum that I have had lately have all been consistently good.
I find there is great value for the money at dinnertime in that their dishes are a healthy size and will feed more than the average as compared to some other restaurants.
I would return but definitely not on the weekends. Also go earlier, around 5:30 for dinner before they get too busy.
Have attended two of the Long Table series of dinners. Outstanding value. Where else can you get a yummy meal and a pint for $12? We have tried the Roast veal stuffed with olive tapenade and a pint of Guiness. On another ocassion we dined on the roast suckling pig and pint of cider. On each ocassion the food was delicious and the portions ample.
Service of course is great as everyone has the same meal so it is easier to be consistent in this area.
The ambience is great as you get to meet new people in this kind of social setting. We've had some very pleasant and lively conversations with our table mates.
We will definitely return again for their new fall menu.
Have dined here on several occassions at lunchtime. This time was the worst experience due to the lack of service.
The food was good. My partner chose the 3 mini burgers which were very tasty but probably a bit expensive for the $17. I chose the business lunch of 3 courses for $20. The meal consisted of cream of pea soup (delicious), pasta with sausages and mushrooms (very tasty) and creme brulee.(which I didn't have, see below). Very solid value for the money.
However, the service is what ruined the possibility of a good lunch. The advertised 45 minute business lunch turned out to be over one and one-half hours! We ended up cancelling the dessert as it had not arrived by this time. We waited over 25 minutes after our main course for the dessert. There was apologies from our server with the explanation that a big party had come in unexpectedly and there were only 2 servers available. Furthermore, our desserts were given out by mistake to a table that had come in after us. Never once were we acknowledged by the English manager. Frustrated, we asked if we could cancel dessert and get a credit at which point he did so promptly ( to his credit), however, an apology still not given at this point.. Rather poor customer service in this respect.
The setting is beautiful, food is good but service definitely needs to be worked on. May be a while before we return.
